At the Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week (KLFW) 2020 in November, Malaysian fashion designer, Hatta Dolmat, will be presenting a unique clothing collection using fabric incorporating recycled plastic bottles.

The collaboration with Solid Waste and Public Cleansing Management Corporation (SWCorp) is designed to increase awareness about the importance and potential of sustainable fashion among industry players.

SWCorp chief executive officer, Ismail Mokhtar, said he hopes that the introduction of the eco-friendly fabric will reduce the production of textiles that cause pollution, as well as textile and plastic waste in landfills.

This eco-friendly fabric that has been created with Kloth Lifestyle Sdn Bhd can reduce the carbon dioxide that is released as textiles degrade, which can take up to 200 years.

“A garment made from fabric composed of 40 per cent cotton and 60 per cent polyester (which is recyclable) can stop the dumping of seven or eight plastic bottles,” he told Bernama.

Ismail said there will be a public display of the collection during a Recycling Day 2020 celebration in November to help visitors get a feel for the fabric.

He said SWCorp will also be collaborating with Hatta for the Kuala Lumpur Young Designer Award (KLYDA) 2021 to shine a spotlight on sustainable fashion and the use of recycled materials as a resource with commercial value.

“I want to show a collection made from recycled bottles that I can be proud of, as well as become ready-to-wear clothing that doesn’t look like it’s made of trash or recyclables,” said the designer who has 15 years in the fashion industry and a celebrity clientele.

“I see fashion designers in neighbouring countries like Thailand and Indonesia who are still unenlightened about sustainable fashion.

“So if we move fast and continue holding different programmes to increase awareness and exposure, as well as attract the participation of the younger generation, it is not impossible for us to become the benchmark (of sustainable fashion),” Hatta added.

-- BERNAMA